Still haven’t even begun to lose the weight you promised yourself you would lose by summer? Stop procrastinating and get started now as its not too late….yet.

Look at our getting started tab on the home page of our website and figure out which phase you should begin on. Once you know this, look at our sample meal plans to see what you should be eating and appropriate portion sizes.

Next try and fit in some exercise during the week, aim for at least 30 mins x 3 per week, even if its just walking. Always remember that a little bit goes a long way and its better than nothing at all.

If you find walking boring or its raining, simply use your imagination! Do extra house work, go dancing with a friend on the weekend, set up a circuit in your home and get your kids involved!

Stay tuned for more great tips next week!

Regardless, if you’re wanting to be in shape by the time 1 December rolls around you need to start doing something about it – now!

It may seem hard now but remember, any bit of exercise or healthy eating is better than none at all. Don’t expect to go from flab to fab in a couple of weeks, you need to stay motivated and focused on the end goal.

Clean out your fridge, re-stock it with fresh vegies and fruit, learn some healthy recipes and write down some (achieveable) goals to reach by the end of November.

Start off with aiming to exercise at least 2-3 times per week for 15 minutes each time. It may not seem like much but when you compare it to 3 months of coming home and sitting in front of the television, your body won’t know what to think!

Gradually build up to 4-5 times per week and exercising for 20-30 minutes each time. If you think you won’t have time to do something after work, exercise before work.

Mix it up – your exercise can include walking, cycling, jogging, dancing, swimming – anything you like that involves your body moving and you feeling a little bit out of breath.

Why? It could very well be that your portion sizes are too large.

Even if you’re eating healthy foods, all foods give you energy so you need to ensure that your food intake is equal to or less than your energy output to ensure you lose weight.

Although there is some truth in the link between quitting smoking and weight gain, it is definitely something that can be avoided if you’re serious about improving your lifestyle.

You need to follow a sensible diet and incorporate exercise into your routine. If you’re already doing exercise regularly and find that you’re still gaining a little weight, you may need to increase the duration/intensity of your exercise.

Also, ensure that you choose your snacks wisely. As nicotine acts as an appetite suppressant, once you quit smoking, not only do you have an increased appetite but often people will replace cigarettes with food – and unhealthy food choices at that.

Ensure you have adequate supply of healthy snacks and try to reward yourself with non-food items. With all the money you save not buying cigarettes, buy yourself something nice that you can keep instead.

So, how do you beat the winter blues? Its hard, but you can do it.

– Sit down and write down 5 goals you want to achieve by the end of winter (make them achieveable!). You’ll be more likely to stick to your plan if you set goals for yourself.
– Also, invest in some good winter exercise gear – if you’ve got the right gear for winter, it’ll make stepping outside that much easier.
– Enlist a friend’s help (preferably a friend who is already fit). They’ll help keep you motivated as they won’t slack off at the first sign of weather being cooler, plus they should have lots of tips to exercising in the cold. Your fit friend probably doesn’t like it any more than you do, so find out their secret for battling on through the cold.
– Avoid comfort foods in winter, treat yourself occasionally but don’t overindulge in lots of hot chocolates and creamy dishes.
– Lastly, if you really can’t stand exercising outside in winter, look at joining a gym for the winter months only.

This may seem fantastic to a person desperate to lose some weight, but think about what you’re really losing.

Firstly, just think what must be involved to lose that amount of weight in such a short period of time. More than likely, it will involve you averaging only 800 calories or less per day, which means you won’t be enjoying much of what you’re putting into your body.

Also, losing several kilos weight in such short time spans is not maintainable. In 2-3 months you may have lost all the weight you wanted to, but then what? You’re going to have to start eating properly at some point and studies show that it’s quite likely you’ll put all the weight straight back on…and then some.

Quite often, a person embarking on such programs is not educated on what they actually should be eating and doing to maintain a healthy weight for themselves, which only increases the likelihood of putting the weight back on.

You are much better to lose only 500g – 1kg per week eating a range of healthy foods, allowing yourself an occasional treat, exercising regularly and enjoying yourself. This will leave you feeling satisfied and is much more sustainable for the long term and you’ll get the results you’re after.

It’s impossible to ignore the chocolate that finds its way into every section of the supermarket (particularly if you have children tagging along for the trip to the grocery store) so here’s a few tips for surviving this Easter….

Be prepared. It sounds simple and it is. If you’re prepared with your grocery list, your meals and any holiday plans then you’re not going to be as tempted to indulge by buying a little something extra or getting take away meals.

Easter can be fun and healthy. Be sure to get some fresh seafood for Good Friday, simply grill some fish for the family and do a salad or veggies to go with it. Put a squeeze of lemon juice and some cracked pepper over the fish and you have a tasty and healthy meal.

If you have children, buy them some chocolate treats but be sure to do fun stuff with them as well, do an Easter egg hunt outside or buy them Easter bunny toys.

Don’t buy the cheap eggs in the post-Easter sales as you’ll only end up eating them all yourself.

Camping is a great option over Easter – it means you won’t be near stores and therefore tempted to buy chocolate.

Lastly, treat yourself – just know your limits. One Cadbury hollow egg (the ones that are the same size as a real egg) is 100 calories so you’re able to have it as an afternoon snack on the Betty Baxter program.

Too many times, virtually any excuse will do – even mundane household chores suddenly seem thrilling and exciting when compared to sweating it out.

By far, the best advice seems to be to get it out of the way early.

So, get up 30 minutes earlier and start moving, even if its just going for a brisk walk of a morning. It may seem like mission impossible at first, but once you start doing it more and more, it gets easier – much like most things in life! You’ll feel so much better for it and it means that once you’ve finished your work day, you can go with your friend to dinner or do whatever else you please – without the guilt.

Many are left scratching their heads wondering how to limit their weight gain and eventually accept the inevitable – that they will end up looking at least a little bit jollier by the end of the month. This then leads to the conclusion that they may as well go all out and enjoy themselves.

While this may seem like good logic at the time, it means that you end up piling on more kilos than you had intended and are destined to join the masses on January 1 all with the same New Year’s resolution: “I must lose weight”.

So, to help you out in this month of madness, Betty has got her top 10 tips to see you through.

1.   Tell friends and family you’re going to be good this year and that you don’t want any chocolate, alcohol, pudding as gifts. Some of them won’t listen, but some of them will and this will mean less calories for you.
2.   When attending a party or other social event, focus on talking and catching up with friends and making an effort with people you haven’t met – rather than making a beeline for the buffet the moment you arrive.

3.   It’s the season for gift giving – so if you’ve been good, reward yourself with something special.
4.   Offer to organise a Christmas dinner/lunch with family and/or friends yourself. This way you have complete control over the menu and you can either make the healthy foods yourself or allocate dishes for your family and friends to bring – healthy of course!
5.   Before going to a party or social gathering, make sure you have a healthy meal or snack. This will ensure that when you arrive at the party you aren’t starving and looking to stuff yourself to the brim with unhealthy food.
6.   Opt for healthier options if you’re faced with having to sit down to a huge meal. Peel the skin off the chicken, look for vegetables such as baby carrots and skimp on the gravy and seasoning.
7.   December is a fantastic time for exercising outdoors. Take advantage of the warmer days and nights, even if it’s just going for a walk with friends. Even better, some states have daylight savings and this means that you can easily exercise outside after work and it’s still light – you may as well enjoy it while it lasts!
8.   If you must have alcohol, choose low/zero sugar, low calorie versions. There are many options available now in bottle shops. Try and limit your alcohol intake as well, as hard as it may be during December.
9.   Summer is a great time of year to try new salads. So experiment with different vegetables and herbs and use BB’s Feel Good Dressing to add some extra flavour.
10.   If a social gathering is at a friend’s place nearby, choose to walk there instead or if it’s not close enough to walk, drive some of the way and walk the rest. If you need to wear heels, simply put them in a carry bag and walk in sneakers and then arrange to leave them at your friend’s place if need be.

A weight loss plateau often occurs when people are close to reaching their goal weight. It is thought to be a result of calorie balance (i.e. when the amount of calories consumed equals the amount of energy expended on a daily basis).

Initially on a weight loss program, an energy deficit is created whereby total calorie intake is minimised, while energy output (exercise) is maximised. While this negative energy balance exists, weight will continue to drop.

After significant weight loss, the amount of energy it takes to perform everyday tasks drops considerably. This can undo the energy deficit, and bring the body back to a state of calorie balance, hence the slowing of weight loss. A plateau can last for several weeks up to a few months.

Another theory is that the body adapts to the limitations and practices of programs, and that metabolically we adapt to dietary patterns.

How to Overcome a Weight Loss Plateau:

- Try something new that is consistent with the program (i.e. if primary exercise is walking, switch to swimming, class exercise, or cycling)
- Try eating a wider variety of foods. The easiest way to do this is to vary snack choices. Alternatively alter the scheduling of meals (i.e. swap lunch and dinner).
- Exercise! If an adequate exercise routine is already in place, encourage your customer to mix up the routine as much as possible. If the routine is quite varied, the intensity and duration of each workout should be gradually increased to maximise energy expenditure.
- Incidental activity should be maximised – there is little point in being active for 1 hour a day and being a couch potato for the other 23 hours.
- Minimise alcohol intake (it is very calorie dense).
- Reduce sugar intake – particularly from fruit intake.
- Is the body missing something? Ensure your customer is eating the recommended fresh food intake, and getting their essential fatty acids (flaxseed or fish oil).
- If all else fails, allow one care-free day for your customer. Tell them to forget about dieting, and just enjoy a day off the program (but make sure they get back on the following day!).

Mixing things up while on a weight loss program can not only help to overcome a plateau, but can also reinvigorate and energise your customer to persevere with their weight loss efforts.